Introducing novel potent anticancer agents of 1H-benzo[f]chromene scaffolds, targeting c-Src kinase enzyme with MDA-MB-231 cell line anti-invasion effect

Targeted potent antimicrobial and antitumor oxygen-heterocyclic-based pyran analogues: synthesis and computational studies

The process of creating a series of 3-amino-1-aryl-8-methoxy-1H-benzo[f]chromene-2-carbonitriles (4a-q) involved reacting 6-methoxynaphthalen-2-ol (1), the appropriate aromatic aldehydes (2a-q), and malononitrile (3) in an absolute ethanol/piperidine solution under Ultrasonic irradiation. However, the attempt to create 3-amino-1-aryl-1H-benzo[f]chromene-2,8-dicarbonitrile (6a, d, e) was unsuccessful when 6-cyanonaphthalen-2-ol (5) was stirred at room temperature, reflux, Microwave irradiation, or Ultrasonic irradiation. In addition, the target molecules were screened against Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumonia, as well as a panel of three human cancer cells lines such as MCF-7, HCT-116, HepG-2 and two normal cell lines HFL-1 and WI-38. The obtained results confirmed that the pyran derivatives (4 m, i, k) which have a double chlorine at 3,4/2,3/2,5-positions, a single halogen atom 3-Cl/4-Br (4c, e) and a double bromine at 3,5-positions with a single methoxy group at 2-position (4n), of phenyl ring, and, to a lesser extent, other pyran derivatives with monoihalogenated (4a, b, d, f), dihalogenated (4 g, h, j, l) or trisubstituent phenyl ring (4o, p, q). Furthermore, compounds 4b-e, g, i, j, m, and n showed negligible activity against the two normal cell lines, HFL-1 and WI-38. Moreover, compound 4 g exhibited the strongest antimicrobial activity among the other pyran derivatives (4a-f, g-q) when compared to Ciprofloxacin. The MIC was assessed and screened for compound 4 g, revealing bactericidal effects. Lastly, SAR and molecular docking were studied.

In vitro and in vivo evaluation of novel chromeno[2,3-d]pyrimidinones as therapeutic agents for triple negative breast cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive subtype of breast cancer, and the limited therapeutic options show poor efficacy in patients, associated to severe side effects and development of resistance. Considering that chromene-based scaffolds proved to be attractive candidates for cancer therapy, herein we prepared new chromeno[2,3-d]pyrimidinone derivatives by a simple two step procedure, starting from the reaction of cyanoacetamide and a salicylaldehyde. A cell viability screening in several breast cancer cell lines allowed to identify two promising compounds with IC50 values in the low micromolar range for TNBC cells. These chromenes inhibited cell proliferation, induced cell cycle arrest and triggered cell death through apoptosis. In vivo studies revealed a safe profile in invertebrate and vertebrate animal models and confirmed their capacity to inhibit tumor growth in the CAM model, inducing significant tumor regression after 4 days of treatment. The two compounds identified in this study are promising drug candidates for TNBC treatment and valuable hits for future optimization, using the versatile synthetic platform that was developed.

N- and s-substituted Pyrazolopyrimidines: A promising new class of potent c-Src kinase inhibitors with prominent antitumor activity

In this work, readily achievable synthetic pathways were utilized for construction of a library of N/S analogues based on the pyrazolopyrimidine scaffold with terminal alkyl or aryl fragments. Subsequently, we evaluated the anticancer effects of these novel analogs against the proliferation of various cancer cell lines, including breast, colon, and liver lines. The results were striking, most of the tested molecules exhibited strong and selective cytotoxic activity against the MDA-MB-231 cancer cell line; IC50 1.13 µM. Structure-activity relationship (SAR) analysis revealed that N-substituted derivatives generally enhanced the cytotoxic effect, particularly with aliphatic side chains that facilitated favorable target interactions. We also investigated apoptosis, DNA fragmentation, invasion assay, and anti-migration effects, and discussed their underlying molecular mechanisms for the most active compound 7c. We demonstrated that 7c N-propyl analogue could inhibit MDA-MB-231 TNBC cell proliferation by inducing apoptosis through the regulation of vital proteins, namely c-Src, p53, and Bax. In addition, our results also revealed the potential of these compounds against tumor metastasis by downregulating the invasion and migration modes. Moreover, the in vitro inhibitory effect of active analogs against c-Src kinase was studied and proved that might be the main cause of their antiproliferative effect. Overall, these compelling results point towards the therapeutic potential of these derivatives, particularly those with N-substitution as promising candidates for the treatment of TNBC type of breast cancer.

Design, synthesis and bioactivity study on oxygen-heterocyclic-based pyran analogues as effective P-glycoprotein-mediated multidrug resistance in MCF-7/ADR cell

P-glycoprotein (P-gp) imparts multi-drug resistance (MDR) on the cancers cell and malignant tumor clinical therapeutics. We report a class of newly designed and synthesized oxygen-heterocyclic-based pyran analogues (4a-l) bearing different aryl/hetaryl-substituted at the 1-postion were synthesized, aiming to impede the P-gp function. These compounds (4a-l) have been tested against cancerous PC-3, SKOV-3, HeLa, and MCF-7/ADR cell lines as well as non-cancerous HFL-1 and WI-38 cell lines to determine their anti-proliferative potency.The findings demonstrated the superior potency of 4a-c with 4-F, 2-Cl, and 3-Cl derivatives and 4h,g with 4-NO2, 4-MeO derivatives against PC-3, SKOV-3, HeLa, and MCF-7/ADR cell lines.Compounds 4a-c were tested for P-gp inhibition and demonstrated significant vigour against MCF-7/ADR cells with IC50 = 5.0-10.7 μM. The Rho123 accumulation assay showed that compounds 4a-c adequately inhibited P-gp function, as predicted. Furthermore, 4a or 4b administration resulted in MCF-7/ADR cell accumulation in the S phase, while compound 4c induced apoptosis by causing cell cycle arrest at G2/M. The molecular docking was applied to understand the likely modes of action and guide us in the rational design of more potent analogs. The investigate derivatives showed their good binding potential for p-gp active site with excellent docking scores and interactions. Finally, the majority of investigated derivatives 4a-c derivatives showed high oral bioavailability, but they did not cross the blood-brain barrier. These results suggest that they have favorable pharmacokinetic properties. Therefore, these compounds could serve as leads for designing more potent and stable drugs in the future.

Design, synthesis of novel chromene-based scaffolds targeting hepatocellular carcinoma: Cell cycle arrest, cytotoxic effect against resistant cancer cells, apoptosis induction, and c-Src inhibition

New chromene derivatives were synthesized based on 4-(3,4-dimethoxy)-4H-chromene scaffold. All target compounds exhibited cytotoxic activity against HepG2 cells (IC50  = 2.40-141.22 μM). Chromens 5 and 9 showed superior cytotoxicity over staurosporine (IC50  = 18.27 μM) and vinblastine (IC50  = 5.20 μM). c-Src kinase inhibition assay of compounds 5 and 9 displayed the dominant c-Src inhibitory activity of 5 (IC50  = 0.184 μM) over 9 (IC50  = 0.288 μM). The safety of the most potent compound 5 against normal WI-38 cells was confirmed via its IC50 of 115.75 μM comparable with 5-FU (IC50  = 16.28 μM). Moreover, the promising chromene 5 displayed potent cytotoxicity against resistant HepG2 cells with IC50 of 26.03 μM comparable with 5-FU (IC50  = 42.68 μM). The most active chromene 5 arrested the HepG2 cell cycle at the S phase and induced a 29-fold increase in the total number of apoptotic cells indicating pre-G1 apoptosis. The ability of compound 5 to induce apoptosis was supported via elevation of caspase-3, caspase-7, caspase-9 and proapoptotic Bax protein levels in addition to downregulation of the antiapoptotic Bcl2 protein. Molecular docking studies of compound 5 showed good binding interaction pattern inside c-Src kinase enzyme active site.

Discovery of benzochromene derivatives first example with dual cytotoxic activity against the resistant cancer cell MCF-7/ADR and inhibitory effect of the P-glycoprotein expression levels

A series of 1H-benzo[f]chromene moieties (4a-z) were synthesised under Ultrasonic irradiation and confirmed with spectral analyses. Derivative 4i solely possessed an X-ray single crystal. The anti-proliferative efficacy of the desired molecules has been explored against three cancer cells: MCF-7, HCT-116, and HepG-2 with the cytotoxically active derivatives screened against MCF-7/ADR and normal cells HFL-1 and WI-38. Furthermore, compounds 4b-d, 4k, 4n, 4q, and 4w, which possessed good potency against MCF-7/ADR, were tested as permeability glycoprotein (P-glycoprotein [P-gp]) expression inhibitors. The attained data confirmed that 4b-d, 4q, and 4w exhibited strong expression inhibition against the P-gp alongside its cytotoxic effect on MCF-7/ADR. The western blot results and Rho123 accumulation assays showed that compounds 4b-d, 4q, and 4w effectively inhibited the P-gp expression and efflux function. Meanwhile, 4b-d, 4q, and 4w induced apoptosis and accumulation of the treated MCF-7/ADR cells in the G1 phase and 4k and 4n in the S phase of the cell cycle.

Development of Novel Class of Phenylpyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine-Based Analogs with Potent Anticancer Activity and Multitarget Enzyme Inhibition Supported by Docking Studies

Phenylpyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine is considered a milestone scaffold known to possess various biological activities such as antiparasitic, antifungal, antimicrobial, and antiproliferative activities. In addition, the urgent need for selective and potent novel anticancer agents represents a major route in the drug discovery process. Herein, new aryl analogs were synthesized and evaluated for their anticancer effects on a panel of cancer cell lines: MCF-7, HCT116, and HePG-2. Some of these compounds showed potent cytotoxicity, with variable degrees of potency and cell line selectivity in antiproliferative assays with low resistance. As the analogs carry the pyrazolopyrimidine scaffold, which looks structurally very similar to tyrosine and receptor kinase inhibitors, the potent compounds were evaluated for their inhibitory effects on three essential cancer targets: EGFRWT, EGFRT790M, VGFR2, and Top-II. The data obtained revealed that most of these compounds were potent, with variable degrees of target selectivity and dual EGFR/VGFR2 inhibitors at the IC50 value range, i.e., 0.3-24 µM. Among these, compound 5i was the most potent non-selective dual EGFR/VGFR2 inhibitor, with inhibitory concentrations of 0.3 and 7.60 µM, respectively. When 5i was tested in an MCF-7 model, it effectively inhibited tumor growth, strongly induced cancer cell apoptosis, inhibited cell migration, and suppressed cell cycle progression leading to DNA fragmentation. Molecular docking studies were performed to explore the binding mode and mechanism of such compounds on protein targets and mapped with reference ligands. The results of our studies indicate that the newly discovered phenylpyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine-based multitarget inhibitors have significant potential for anticancer treatment.

Synthesis of 9-Hydroxy-1H-Benzo[f]chromene Derivatives with Effective Cytotoxic Activity on MCF7/ADR, P-Glycoprotein Inhibitors, Cell Cycle Arrest and Apoptosis Effects

β-Enaminonitriles bearing 9-hydroxy-1H-benzo[f]chromene moiety was synthesized. The targeted compounds were evaluated for their anti-proliferative activity against three human tumor cell lines, PC-3, SKOV-3 and HeLa, and the active cytotoxic compounds were further evaluated against cancer cells, MCF-7/ADR, and two normal cell lines, HFL-1 and WI-38. Few compounds were assigned to be the most potent derivatives against PC-3, SKOV-3 and HeLa cell lines in comparison with Vinblastine and Doxorubicin. Several compounds possessed a relatively good potency against MCF-7/ADR cells as compared with Doxorubicin and were tested as a P-gp inhibitor. Moreover, the halogenated substituents, 2,4-F₂, 2,3-Cl₂, 2,5-Cl₂ and 3,4-Cl_2; have good potency against P-gp-mediated MDR in MCF-7/ADR as compared with Doxorubicin. Meanwhile, Rho123 accumulation assays revealed that few compounds effectively inhibited P-pg and efflux function. In addition, certain derivatives induced apoptosis and an accumulation of the treated MCF-7/ADR cells in the G1, S and G1/S phases.

The Crystal Structure of 3-Amino-1-(4-Chlorophenyl)-9-Methoxy-1H-Benzo[f]Chromene-2-Carbonitrile: Antimicrobial Activity and Docking Studies

Compound 3-amino-1-(4-chlorophenyl)-9-methoxy-1H-benzo[f]chromene-2-carbonitrile (4), was synthesized via the reaction of 7-methoxynaphthalen-2-ol (1), 4-chlorobenzaldehyde (2), and malononitrile (3) in an ethanolic piperidine solution under microwave irradiation. The synthesized pyran derivative 4 was asserted through spectral data and X-ray diffraction. The molecular structure of compound 4 was established unambiguously through the single crystal X-ray measurements and crystallized in the Triclinic, P-1, a = 8.7171 (4) Å, b = 10.9509 (5) Å, c = 19.5853 (9) Å, α = 78.249 (2)°, β = 89.000 (2)°, γ = 70.054 (2)°, V = 1717.88 (14) Å3, Z = 4. The target molecule has been screened for antibacterial and antifungal functionality. Compound 4 exhibited favorable antimicrobial activities that resembled the reference antimicrobial agents with an IZ range of 16–26 mm. In addition, MIC, MBC, and MFC were assessed and screened for molecule 4, revealing bactericidal and fungicidal effects. Lastly, a molecular docking analysis was addressed and conducted for this desired molecule.

The Crystal Structure of 2-Amino-4-(2,3-Dichlorophenyl)-6-Methoxy-4H-Benzo[h]chromene-3-Carbonitrile: Antitumor and Tyrosine Kinase Receptor Inhibition Mechanism Studies

The target compound, 2-amino-4-(2,3-dichlorophenyl)-6-methoxy-4H-benzo[h]chromene -3-carbonitrile (4), was synthesized via the reaction of 4-methoxynaphthalen-1-ol (1), 2,3-dichlorobenzaldehyde (2), and malononitrile (3) in an ethanolic piperidine solution under microwave irradiation. The synthesized β-enaminonitrile derivative (4) was characterized by spectral data and X-ray diffraction. The in vitro anti-proliferative profile was conducted against five cancer cell lines and was assessed for compound 4, which revealed strong and selective cytotoxic potency. This derivative showed promising inhibition efficacy against the EGFR and VEGFR-2 kinases in comparison to Sorafenib as a reference inhibitor. Lastly, the docking analysis into the EGFR and VEGFR-2 active sites was performed to clarify our biological findings.

Characterization of novel heterocyclic compounds based on 4-aryl-4H-chromene scaffold as anticancer agents: Design, synthesis, antiprofilerative activity against resistant cancer cells, dual β-tubulin/c-Src inhibition, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis induction

In this study, three novel sets of 4-aryl-4H-chromene derivatives 4a-c, 6a-d and 7a-c were synthesized and evaluated for anticancer activity. Characterization of new compounds was established on basis of elemental analyses and spectral data. All new compounds were investigated for their antiproliferative activity against HCT-116, HepG-2 and MCF-7 cell lines using vinblastine and staurosporine as positive controls. Compounds 4b, 4c and 6d showed superior cytotoxicity against HCT-116, HepG-2 and MCF-7 cell lines, respectively with IC₅₀ ranged from 3.31 to 4.95 μM. Additionally, compound 4b showed excellent cytotoxic activity (IC₅₀ = 39.83 μM) against resistant HCT-116 better than doxorubicin (IC₅₀ = 164.60 μM), while compounds 4c and 6d exhibited moderate cytotoxic activity against resistant HepG-2 and resistant MCF-7 cell lines. The most potent compounds inhibited both β-tubulin polymerization (IC₅₀ = 8.78 - 16.47 μM) and c-Src kinase (IC₅₀ = 0.07 - 0.18 μM) enzymes. Compounds 4b, 4c and 6d activated caspase-3, caspase-7, and caspase-9 proteins relative to untreated cells, revealing apoptosis induction. Apoptosis was also confirmed through up-regulation of Bax and down-regulation of Bcl-2 protein expression levels. Cell cycle analysis of compound 6d showed accumulation of cells in pre-G1 phase and cell cycle arrest at S phase in MCF-7 treated cells. As well 6d caused 7- and 63- fold increase in apoptotic cell population at early and late apoptosis stages. Finally, molecular modeling study was performed to predict the binding pattern of the target compounds inside c-Src kinase receptor.

Synthesis of β-Enaminonitrile-Linked 8-Methoxy-1H-Benzo[f]Chromene Moieties and Analysis of Their Antitumor Mechanisms

A series of aryl-substituted 3-amino-1-aryl-8-methoxy-1H-benzo[f]chromene-2-carbonitriles (4a-4q) were designed and synthesized via reaction of 6-methoxy-2-naphthol with a mixture of appropriate aromatic aldehydes and malononitrile under microwave conditions. The structures of the novel compounds 4b, 4c, 4f, 4g, 4i, 4l, 4m, and 4o-4q were established according to IR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR/13C-NMR-DEPT, and MS. The benzochromene derivative 4c with a single chlorine at the meta position of the phenyl ring and, to a lesser extent, other benzochromenes with monohalogenated phenyl ring (4a, 4c-4f) exhibited the highest cytotoxicity against six human cancer cell lines MDA-MB-231, A549, HeLa, MIA PaCa-2, 5,637, and Hep G2. The mechanisms of the cytotoxic activities of benzochromenes with monohalogenated phenyl ring (4a, 4c-4f) were further analyzed using triple-negative breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231. Cell cycle analysis showed accumulation of the treated cells in S phase for 4a, 4d-4f, and S-G2/M phases for 4c. In vivo, 4a and 4c-4f inhibited growth, proliferation, and triggered apoptosis in preestablished breast cancer xenografts grown on the chick chorioallantoic membranes while exhibiting low systemic toxicity. Compounds 4a and 4c-4f increased levels of mitochondrial superoxide and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential resulting in initiation of apoptosis as demonstrated by caspase 3/7 activation. In addition, 4c induced general oxidative stress in cancer cells. The SAR study confirmed that halogens of moderate size at meta or para positions of the pendant phenyl ring enhance the cytotoxic activity of 3-amino-1-aryl-8-methoxy-1H-benzo[f]chromene-2-carbonitriles, and these compounds could serve as leads for the development of novel anticancer therapies.

Development of potential anticancer agents and apoptotic inducers based on 4-aryl-4H chromene scaffold: Design, synthesis, biological evaluation and insight on their proliferation inhibition mechanism

An array of 4-aryl-2-amino-4H chromene derivatives were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for cytotoxic activity against four cancer cell lines and two non-cancerous cell lines. The most active candidates were further screened for their in vitro anticancer activity on NCI panel of 60 human cancer cell lines where compounds 2a, 2b, 4a-2, and 2e showed promising activity against various leukemia, non-small lung, renal, prostate, and breast cancer cell lines, particularly against NCI-H522 non-small lung cancer cell line (GI₅₀ of 0.35-0.60 µM), MCF7 breast cancer cell line (GI₅₀ of 0.34-0.59 µM), and MDA-MB-468 breast cancer cell line (GI₅₀ of 0.23-0.40 µM). Compound 2b was the most potent against all leukemia and prostate cancer cell lines with GI₅₀ values (0.29-0.60 µM). Compound 2b inhibited the proliferation of MCF-7 and HepG2 cells by inducing cell cycle arrest and apopotosis. 2b downregulated the mRNA abundance of BAX, Apaf-1 and caspase-3 and upregulated BCL-2. The activities of caspase-3 and caspase-9 were declined in MCF-7 and HepG2 cells treated with compound 2b. Compounds 2b and 4a-2 inhibited tubulin polymerization, with an IC₅₀ values of 0.92 and 1.13 µM, respectively. These findings indicate that these synthesized compounds may represent potential drug candidates to inhibit the proliferation of different types of cancer cells.

Synthesis and evaluation of antitumor activity of 9-methoxy-1H-benzo[f]chromene derivatives

Herein, a series of aryl-substituted derivatives of 3-amino-1-aryl-9-methoxy-1H-benzo[f]chromene-2-carbonitriles (4a-4q) were designed and synthesized via reaction of 7-methoxy-2-naphthol with a mixture of appropriate aromatic aldehydes and malononitrile under microwave conditions. Among the tested benzochromene, the known compound 4e and four novel compounds 4f, 4j, 4k, 4m exhibited the highest cytotoxicity towards a panel of six human cancer cell lines MDA-MB-231, A549, HeLa, MIA PaCa-2, RPMI 7951, and PC-3. Compound 4j with 2,4-dichloro substitution on the pendant phenyl ring exhibited the highest broad-spectrum cytotoxicity towards all tested cancer cell lines. Compounds 4e, 4f, 4j, 4k, 4m were further selected to study the mechanism of cellular toxicity using the triple-negative breast cancer cells MDA-MB-231. Compounds 4e, 4f, 4j, 4k, 4m induced accumulation of the treated MDA-MB-231 cells in the S phase and 4k additionally in the G₂/M phase of the cell cycle. Compounds 4e, 4f, 4j, 4k, 4m induced dissipation of mitochondrial transmembrane potential and activation of caspase 3/7 in MDA-MB-231 cells with 4j being one of the most active. In an in vivo model, compound 4j and less efficiently 4e and 4f inhibited growth and proliferation and triggered DNA fragmentation in MDA-MB-231 xenografts grown on chick chorioallantoic membranes. SAR study confirmed that the 2,4-dichloro substitution pattern on the pendant phenyl ring enhanced the cytotoxic activity of benzochromene.

New pyridine and chromene scaffolds as potent vasorelaxant and anticancer agents

Based on studies that have reported the association between cancer and cardiovascular diseases, new series of pyridine- (3a–o) and/or chromene- (4a–e) carbonitrile analogous were designed, synthesized and screened for their vasodilation and cytotoxic properties. The majority of the new chemical entities demonstrated significant vasodilation efficacies, compounds 3a, 3h, 3j, 3m, 3o, 4d and 4e exhibited the most promising potency with IC₅₀ = 437.9, 481.0, 484.5, 444.8, 312.1, 427.6 and 417.2 μM, respectively, exceeding prazosin hydrochloride (IC₅₀ = 487.3 μM). Compounds 3b–e, 3k and 3l also, revealed moderate vasodilation activity with IC₅₀ values ranging from 489.7 to 584.5 μM. In addition, the anti-proliferative activity evaluation of the experimental compounds at 10 μM on the MCF-7 and MDA-MB 231 breast cancer cell lines illustrated the excellent anti-proliferative properties of derivatives 3d, 3g and 3i. Compound 3d was the most potent analogue with IC₅₀ = 4.55 ± 0.88 and 9.87 ± 0.89 μM against MCF-7 and MDA-MB 231, respectively. Moreover, compound 3d stimulated apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at the S phase in MCF-7 cells in addition to its capability in accumulation of cells in pre-G1 phase and activating caspase-3. Furthermore, the molecular docking of 3d was performed to discover the binding modes within the active site of caspase-3. 3d, as the only common bi-functional agent among the tested hits, demonstrated that new pyridine-3-carbonitrile derivatives bearing cycloheptyl ring systems offer potential as new therapeutic candidates with combined vasodilation and anticancer properties.

Series of pyridine- (3a–o) and/or chromene- (4a–e) carbonitrile scaffolds have been designed, synthesized and evaluated for their bi-function activities, 3d was the only common derivative having combined vasodilation and anticancer properties.

A New Family of Benzo[h]Chromene Based Azo Dye: Synthesis, In-Silico and DFT Studies with In Vitro Antimicrobial and Antiproliferative Assessment

The high biological activity of the chromene compounds coupled with the intriguing optical features of azo chromophores prompted our desire to construct novel derivatives of chromene incorporating azo moieties 4a-l, which have been prepared via a three-component reaction of 1-naphthalenol-4-[(4-ethoxyphenyl) azo], 1, with the benzaldehyde derivatives and malononitrile. The structural identities of the azo-chromene 4a-l were confirmed on the basis of their spectral data and elemental analysis, and a UV-visible study was performed in a Dimethylformamide (DMF) solution for these molecules. Additionally, the antimicrobial activity was investigated against four human pathogens (Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria) and four fungi, employing an agar well diffusion method, with their minimum inhibitory concentrations being reported. Molecules 4a, 4g, and 4h were discovered to be more efficacious against Syncephalastrum racemosum (RCMB 05922) in comparison to the reference drugs, while compounds 4b and 4h demonstrated the highest inhibitory activity against Escherichia coli (E. coli) in evaluation against the reference drugs. Moreover, their cytotoxicity was assessed against three different human cell lines, including human colon carcinoma (HCT-116), human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG-2), and human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) with a selection of molecules illustrating potency against the HCT-116 and MCF-7 cell lines. Furthermore, the molecular modeling results depicted the binding interactions of the synthesized compounds 3b and 3h in the active site of the E. coli DNA gyrase B enzyme with a clear SAR (structure-activity relationship) analysis. Lastly, the density functional theory's (DFTs) theoretical calculations were performed to quantify the energy levels of the Frontier Molecular Orbitals (FMOs) and their energy gaps, dipole moments, and molecular electrostatic potentials. These data were utilized in the chemical descriptor estimations to confirm the biological activity.

Synthesis, Cytotoxic Activity, Crystal Structure, DFT Studies and Molecular Docking of 3-Amino-1-(2,5-dichlorophenyl)-8-methoxy-1H-benzo[f]chromene-2-carbonitrile

The target compound 3-amino-1-(2,5-d ichlorophenyl)-8-methoxy-1H-benzo[f]-chromene-2-carbonitrile (4) was synthesized via a reaction of 6-methoxynaphthalen-2-ol (1), 2,5-dichlorobenzaldehyde (2), and malononitrile (3) in ethanolic piperidine solution under microwave irradiation. The newly synthesized β-enaminonitrile was characterized by FT-IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, mass spectroscopy, elemental analysis and X-ray diffraction data. Its cytotoxic activity was evaluated against three different human cancer cell lines MDA-MB-231, A549, and MIA PaCa-2 in comparison to the positive controls etoposide and camptothecin employing the XTT cell viability assay. The analysis of the Hirshfeld surface was utilized to visualize the reliability of the crystal package. The obtained results confirmed that the tested molecule revealed promising cytotoxic activities against the three cancer cell lines. Furthermore, theoretical calculations (DFT) were carried out with the Becke3-Lee-Yang-parr (B3LYP) level using 6-311++G(d,p) basis. The optimization geometry for molecular structures was in agreement with the X-ray structure data. The HOMO-LUMO energy gap of the studied system was discussed. The intermolecular-interactions were studied through analysis of the topological-electron-density(r) using the QTAIM and NCI methods. The novel compound exhibited favorable ADMET properties and its molecular modeling analysis showed strong interaction with DNA methyltransferase 1.

Synthesis, Biological Assessment, and Structure Activity Relationship Studies of New Flavanones Embodying Chromene Moieties

Novel flavanones that incorporate chromene motifs are synthesized via a one-step multicomponent reaction. The structures of the new chromenes are elucidated by using IR, ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR, ¹H-¹H COSY, HSQC, HMBC, and elemental analysis. The new compounds are screened for their in vitro antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities. The antimicrobial properties are investigated and established against seven human pathogens, employing the agar well diffusion method and the minimum inhibitory concentrations. A majority of the assessed derivatives are found to exhibit significant antimicrobial activities against most bacterial strains, in comparison to standard reference drugs. Moreover, their cytotoxicity is appraised against four different human carcinoma cell lines: human colon carcinoma (HCT-116), human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG-2), human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7), and adenocarcinoma human alveolar basal epithelial cell (A-549). All the desired compounds are subjected to in-silico studies, forecasting their drug likeness, bioactivity, and the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) properties prior to their synthetic assembly. The in-silico molecular docking evaluation of all the targeted derivatives is undertaken on gyrase B and the cyclin-dependent kinase. The in-silico predicted outcomes were endorsed by the in vitro studies.

A proficient microwave synthesis with structure elucidation and the exploitation of the biological behavior of the newly halogenated 3-amino-1H-benzo[f]chromene molecules, targeting dual inhibition of topoisomerase II and microtubules

In our endeavors to develop novel and powerful agents with antiproliferative activities, a series of β-enamionitriles, linked to the 8-bromo-1H-benzo[f]chromene moieties (4a-m), was designed and synthesized under microwave irradiation conditions. The structures of the target compounds were established on the basis of their spectral data: IR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, ¹³C NMR-DEPT/APT, ¹⁹F NMR and MS. Furthermore, the antiproliferative properties were evaluated against the human cancer cell lines MCF-7, HCT-116, and HepG-2 in comparison to the positive controls Vinblastine and Doxorubicin, employing the viability assay. The obtained results confirmed that most of the tested molecules revealed strong and selective cytotoxic activities against the three cancer cell lines. The most potent cytotoxic compounds 4b, 4d, 4e, 4i, and 4k were elected for further examination, such as the cell cycle analysis, the apoptosis assay, the Caspase production, and the DNA fragmentation. This study also revealed that the desired compounds stimulate cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phases, increase the production of Caspases 3, 8, and 9, and finally cause intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic cell death. Moreover, these compounds suppress the action of the topoisomerase II enzyme and also disrupt the microtubule functions. The SAR study of the synthesized compounds verified that the substitution on the phenyl ring of the 1H-benzo[f]chromene nucleus, accompanied with the presence of the bromine atom at the 8-position, increases the ability of these molecules against different cell lines.

Microwave synthesis of novel halogenated β-enaminonitriles linked 9-bromo-1H-benzo[f]chromene moieties: Induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in human cancer cells via dual inhibition of topoisomerase I and II

A novel series of halogenated β-enaminonitriles (4a-m), linked 9-bromo-1H-benzo[f]-hromene moieties, were synthesized via microwave irradiation and were predestined for their cytotoxic activity versus three cancer cell lines, namely: MCF-7, HCT-116, and HepG-2. Several of the tested compounds showed high growth inhibitory activities versus the tumor cell lines. Particularly, compounds 4c, 4d, 4f, 4h, 4j, 4l, and 4m demonstrated superior antitumor activities against the aforementioned cell lines. Moreover, the apoptosis process in all the tested cells was induced by compounds 4c, 4d, 4h, 4l, and 4m, as observed by the Annexin V/PI double staining flow cytometric assay. The DNA flow, cytometric analysis revealed that these compounds prompted cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phases. Furthermore, the topoisomerase catalytic activity assays indicated that these compounds inhibited both the topoisomerase I and II enzymes.

Tetrazole hybrids with potential anticancer activity

Cancer is one of the main causes of death throughout the world. The anticancer agents are indispensable for the treatment of various cancers, but most of them currently on the market are not specific, resulting in series of side effects of chemotherapy. Moreover, the emergency of drug-resistance towards cancers has already increased up to alarming level in the recent decades. Therefore, it's imperative to develop novel anticancer candidates with excellent activity against both drug-susceptible and drug-resistant cancers, and low toxicity as well. Tetrazole is the bioisoster of carboxylic acid, and its derivatives demonstrated promising anticancer activity. Hybridization of tetrazole with other anticancer pharmacophores may provide novel candidates with anticancer potency. The present review described the anticancer activity of tetrazole hybrids, and the structure-activity relationship (SAR) is also discussed to provide an insight for rational designs of tetrazole anticancer candidates with higher efficiency.

Antiproliferative effect, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis generation of novel synthesized anticancer heterocyclic derivatives based 4H-benzo[h]chromene

Novel β-enaminonitrile/ester compounds (4, 6) and an imidate of 4 (9) were utilized as key scaffolds for the synthesis of newly 2-substituted 4H-benzo[h]chromene (7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14) and 7H-benzo[h]chromeno[2,3-d]pyrimidine derivatives (15-19). The spectral data confirmed the successful isolation of the desired compounds. The targeted compounds were assessed for their in vitro anticancer activity against mammary gland breast cancer cell line (MCF-7), human colon cancer (HCT-116), and liver cancer (HepG-2), while doxorubicin, vinblastine, and colchicine were utilized as standard references drugs. Some of the examined compounds displayed high growth inhibitory activity against the three different cell lines. For example, the aminoimino derivative (18) exhibited excellent antitumor activity versus all cancer cell lines with IC₅₀ values = 0.45 µg/mL, 0.7 µg/mL, and 1.7 µg/mL. Among the tested molecules, compounds 9, 15, and 18 were selected for further study regarding their effects on cell cycle analysis, apoptosis assay, caspase 3/7 activity, and DNA fragmentation. We found that these three potent cytotoxic compounds induce cell cycle arrest at the S and G2/M phases, which causes apoptosis. Furthermore, these compounds significantly inhibit the invasion and migration of the different tested cancer cells. Finally, the SAR survey highlighted the antitumor activity of the new molecules that was remarkably influenced by the hydrophilicity of substituent as well the fused rings at certain positions.

Design and Synthesis of Novel Heterocyclic-Based 4H-benzo[h]chromene Moieties: Targeting Antitumor Caspase 3/7 Activities and Cell Cycle Analysis

Novel fused chromenes (4,7–11) and pyrimidines (12–16) were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their mammary gland breast cancer (MCF-7), human colon cancer (HCT-116), and liver cancer (HepG-2) activities. The structural identity of the synthesized compounds was established according to their spectroscopic analysis, such as FT-IR, NMR, and mass spectroscopy. The preliminary results of the bioassay disclosed that some of the target compounds were proven to have a significant antiproliferative effect against the three cell lines, as compared to Doxorubicin, Vinblastine, and Colchicine, used as reference drugs. Particularly, compounds 7 and 14 exerted promising anticancer activity towards all cell lines and were chosen for further studies, such as cell cycle analysis, cell apoptosis, caspase 3/7 activity, DNA fragmentation, cell invasion, and migration. We found that these potent cytotoxic compounds induced cell cycle arrest at the S and G2/M phases, prompting apoptosis. Furthermore, these compounds significantly inhibit the invasion and migration of the different tested cancer cells. The structure-activity relationship (SAR) survey highlights that the antitumor activity of the desired compounds was affected by the hydrophobic or hydrophilic nature of the substituent at different positions.